How Climate Change May Have Created 'Perfect Storm' for LA Fires
Ask students: Who is interviewed for this story, and what is his background? When did the world experience the hottest year on record?
Prolonged drought and powerful Santa Ana winds created extreme conditions that fueled the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area. Climate change compounded those conditions. According to NOAA and NASA, the ten warmest years on record have all occurred in the past decade. Geoff Bennett and Daniel Schmidt of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies discussed the implications.
View the transcript of the story.
Key Term
Pliocene - a warmer period on Earth that began over 5 million years ago.
Discussion Questions
- Who is interviewed for this story, and what is his background?
- When did the world experience the hottest year on record?
- What has been unusual about weather in climate in Southern California in recent months?
- How have dry conditions and winds contributed to the spread of fires in Los Angeles?
- Why does Daniel Schmidt compare warming temperatures to the Pliocene era?
Focus Questions
- In this segment, Daniel Schmidt says,"There are local adaptations that we can that we can do to prevent the worst things. We can build better, in the same way that we build better for earthquakes. We can build better for fire-prone environments."
- What do you think are some ways cities can build better to help reduce the risk of wildfires? What would you build or engineer to prevent fire if money was no object?
- Media literacy: How could you find out more about the connection between climate change and natural disasters? Why do you think media outlets are hesitant to ever say that climate change "causes" natural disasters?
Extension Activity
In this segment, NASA scientist Daniel Schmidt says that warmer temperatures and drought have led to more moisture evaporating from the ground around LA, which has made the fire spread more quickly and powerfully. Challenge yourself to imagine and then sketch an invention which will help prevent moisture from evaporating from ground surfaces in places like Los Angeles. You might want to consider:
- How can moisture be trapped at the ground level without disturbing the environment?
- Can local communities work together to make your plan possible?
- Is new technology needed to make your plan possible?
Don't worry if the solution is easy to implement. This exercise is about imagining creative solutions to help address the effects of climate change.
Lesson Plans on Climate Change
Explore more resources for educators to find a wide-range of relevant preK-12 lessons on climate change or supporting young people as they continue to lead the conversation around the climate change crisis.
Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classroom.
PBS News Hour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of News Hour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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